Memorial Day 2018

Dear George,

In my youth (and I’m sure it’s the case now) my hometown of Menominee celebrated Memorial Day with the year’s largest parade, heading north on Sheridan Road and then west on Ogden Avenue.  Our boy scout troop marched in the parade, and we prepared for months beforehand.  This was shortly after the end of World War II, and the war had had a life-altering impact on everyone.  My dad was in the navy, stationed in the Pacific, and my uncles Kent and Karl were in the army, fighting in Europe.  Many family friends served in the Army, Navy, and Marines. 

Memorial Day has a long history.  First known as Decoration Day, it originated shortly after the Civil War, with observances in numerous towns and cities.  Waterloo, NY, has been designated the official birthplace of Memorial Day.  Businesses were closed, and residents decorated the graves of Union soldiers.  In 1868 General John A. Logan called for a nationwide day of remembrance on May 30 for soldiers who died in the Civil War, calling it Decoration Day.   With major U.S. losses in World War I, the newly named Memorial Day evolved to commemorate American military deaths in all wars.  In 1968 Congress established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees. (4)       

Below are the estimated numbers of American military deaths in major wars and percentages of military deaths per total U.S. population. (8)  I’ve also added a list of Menominee County Vietnam war dead (my and my siblings’ generation) (10) and miscellaneous facts about World War II, many horrendous, some quirky.

Love,

Dave

Table: Military deaths and deaths as a percent of the U.S. population.  

Civil War (1861-65) 655,000 (2.4%)

World War II (1941-45) 405,399 (0.3%)

World War I (1917-18) 116,516 (0.1%)

Vietnam War (1955-75)          58,209 (0.03%)

Korean War (1950-53)           54,246 (0.04%)

Revolutionary War (1775-83) 25,000 (1.0%)

War of 1812 (1812-15)          15,000 (0.2%)

Mexican-Amer. War (1846-48)       13,283 (0.06%)

Iraq War (2003-11)             4,497 (0.002%)

Philippine-Amer. War(1899-1902)    4,196 (0.006%)

Spanish-American War (1898)      2,246 (—)

War in Afghanistan (2001-pres.)    2,216 (—)

Vietnam War Dead (Menominee County) 

William Richard Alfredson, Army

Wayne Richard Bebo, Army

Wayne David Johnson, Army

David John Klippel, Army 

Michael Conrad Larsen, Army

William Benedict Nolde, Army* 

Ronald Joseph Phelps, Marines

Jon William Rich, Army

Dennis Lawrence Stiglitz, Army

Albert James Van Horn, Marines

*Colonel William Benedicdt Nolde, a professor of military science at Central Michigan University before joining the army, was the last official combat casualty of the Vietnam War, dying just 11 hours before the beginning of the cease fire on 1-27-73.  Serving in both the Korean War and the Vietnam War, he was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Vietnam Service Medal, Air Medal, and Vietnam Campaign Medal.  (8)

Miscellaneous World War II Facts

• There were between 50 million and 70 million casualties in World War II.  80% came from four countries: Russian, China, Germany, and Poland.  Over 50% of casualties were civilians, a majority of them women and children.  (1) 
• 80% of males born in the Soviet Union in 1923 died during the war.  (1) 
• At the beginning of WW II, the U.S. army was smaller than the army of Portugal.  (3) 
• The Gulf War cost America $306 per person; the Korean War, $2,266 per person; and World War II, $20,388 per person.   (3)  
• The Battle of the Bulge was the deadliest battle for U.S. troops, with over 80,000 American casualties.  (2) 
• The Nazis murdered approximately 12 million people during the war, nearly 6 million being Jews killed in the Holocaust.  (2) 
• To avoid using the German-sounding name “hamburger” during the war, Americans used the name “Liberty Steak”.  (1) 
• A well established Nazi party operated in the U.S. until 1940, Henry Ford being one of the major financial backers.  (5)  
• The Nazis stole the Harvard “fight song” to compose their “Sieg Heil” March.  (2) 
• Dachau, the first Nazi concentration camp, opened 6 years before WW II.  (3) 
• London zookeepers killed all their venomous animals in case the zoo was bombed and the animals were to escape.  (3) 
• The invasion of Okinawa (40,000 U.S. troops) was larger than the D-Day invasion (24,000 U.S., British, and Canadian troops).  (5) 
• A Polish Army bear named Wojtek carried boxes of shells to the frontline and was taught to salute.  (3) 
• A serviceman in the U.S. Air Corps had a 71% chance of dying during World War II.  (7) 
• The American 8th Air Force brought down one enemy fighter for every 12,700 shots fired.  (7) 
• WW II American pilot Nicholas Alkemade survived a fall from 18,000 feet without a parachute, crashing through a glass roof and suffering only a sprained leg.  (3) 
• The Mosque of Paris helped Jews escape the Nazis by giving them Muslim ID’s.  (3) 
• During WW II Japan bombed China with fleas infected with bubonic plague.  (3) 
• 21% of U.S. casualties in WW II occurred through friendly fire.  (3) 
• At Buckingham Palace Queen Elizabeth taught herself to shoot in case a German parachutist attacked.  (3) 
• The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima destroyed 90% of the city and killed 80,000 people.  (9) 
• The intended target of America’s second atomic bomb was Kokura (pop. 130,000), but it was shrouded in fog and planes were rerouted to Nagasaki.  (6) 

SOURCES:

(1) businesinsider.com; (2) factretriever.com; (3) fact slides.com;  (4) history.com; (5) knowledgeglue.com;  (6) secondworldwar.co.uk;  (7) warhistoryonline.com;  (8) wikipedia.org; (9)  www2.bc.edu; (10) honorstates.org 

What Are Your Innermost Thoughts About the President?

Sara Huckabee Sanders, Press Secretary

What have I gotten myself into?

Defending my boss to the press 

He changes his mind every second

Sean warned me that this is a mess 

Rick Perry, Secretary of Energy

The Trumpster and I, we are good old boys

We’re true backers of oil and coal

We’ll soon be rid of wind and of solar 

To make the rich richer — our goal 

Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House

Like Tillerson said, he’s a moron

But this could be great for the House 

It means we can set the agenda 

That’s why I must act like a mouse 

Rudy Giuliani, Personal lawyer

The Donald and I are like peas in a pod

New Yorkers, we like to spout off

So many felonies I’m trying to hide

To his credit, he has a good coiffe

Sean Hannity, Political commentator

Thanks to the president, Fox News is now king

We’re so blessed he has no information 

He tunes in all day to our talk show hosts

So it’s Fox that is running the nation 

Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education

We billionaires stick together

That’s why I’m in charge of the schools

My aim is to serve the religious right

Most teachers are nothing but fools 

Michel Cohen, Personal lawyer

I know more than Mueller about goings-on

Many facts that I’ll never reveal

It’s true that we’re antsy about Russia

But the Stormy thing, that is surreal

Mike Pence, Vice-President

It’s true that our president is morally depraved 

But so far I’ve played my cards right 

I just keep quiet, put on a bland smile

With impeachment, I’ll win the whole fight  

David Dukes, Louisiana politician, white supremacist, anti-Semite

These are the best times we’ve ever had

White nationalism has risen from its grave

Trump will get rid of the immigrants

It’s us white racist Christians he’ll save

Barack Obama, former President

I try to avoid foul obscenities

But this guy is clearly a (blank) 

He’s cancelling everything good we achieved

And, trust me, I’m not being a crank 

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia

Trump is much better than we ever had hoped

So good we made him man of the hour

The more pacts he breaks, the stronger we get

Putin Russia, a new super-power

James Comey, ex-FBI director

I released all that stuff about Hilary

But kept silent about Russian collusion

I never foresaw what a nightmare we’d have

Democracy, it’s now an illusion

Hilary Clinton, Presidential candidate

This is the worst scandal ever

I was eighty times more qualified

Trump was elected by deplorables

I went to the forest and cried

Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader of North Korea

This strange person calls me Rocket-Man

But look at the attention I get

He’ll help me take over South Korea

He’s the most clueless president yet 

John McCain, Republican senator 

A terrible time to be gravely ill

I want to stand up to this tyrant

He’s dragged our party down the sewer 

I’ve begged Mitch to be more defiant

Rachel Maddow, MSNBC commentator

In the boring old days no one tuned me in 

But now I’ve got three million viewers 

There’s crazy Trump news every single day 

I love doing in the wrongdoers 

Donald Trump, President

I didn’t even want to be President

But so huge that I won over Hilary 

The greatest comeback in history

Now I get to ravage and pillory

Savage, Heartless So-and-So's

Dear George,

We arrived home from our recent seashore vacation in the best of moods.  Unfortunately, that was short-lived.  The first thing Katja did was to go through our accumulated mail.  Midway in that task, she opened a letter from our insurance company which announced that our automobile insurance would be terminated in four weeks.  My reaction was a mix of shock and outrage.  We’ve been clients of this company and its predecessor for fifty years, and both of us have near-perfect driving histories.  I haven’t had a ticket since 1969; Katja, one or two.  “This is nothing but age-discrimination!” I blurted out.  

After I calmed down and read their letter more carefully, their facts were more or less accurate.  We each had filed claims for two accidents in the past four years.  Two of these were “real” accidents, i.e., moving collisions where we were at fault and which resulted in moderate damage.  The other two were minor fender-benders while parking or backing out of parking spaces.  If we’d had our wits about us, we would have paid for the minor damage out of pocket in these two cases and avoided jeopardy to our insurance. 

For the subsequent week I’ve been in a state of nervous collapse.  Being pretty old, I decided that we would never get insurance again.  That was workable, I decided.  We live right on the edge of the Clifton business district, and between the grocery, the drugstore, the hardware store, restaurants, movie theater, and multiple ethnic clothing stores, nearly all life needs can be met within two or three blocks.  It would be like living in a rural French village.  Katja prefers to drive ten miles and shop at the fancy mall, but that’s more of a recreational thing than a necessity.  We would probably give up the theater and the symphony.   If need be, we could call Uber (which our son J fortuitously set up on Katja’s phone several months ago).  I don’t like the idea of Ubering around, but it’s better than nothing.  

We called the insurance company, and they were no help.  They suggested an alternative company who would give us a policy at four times our current rate.  I would rather live in a French village and walk.  Instead I posted a blurb on our neighborhood website, asking if anyone could recommend a helpful insurance agent.  Half a dozen people responded, and, after looking at available websites, we picked the one recommended by Alissa J.   We met with the agent on Friday, and he took a bunch of facts and assured us that we would get a new policy.  I asked the pivotal question at the end, “Am I going to be able to start sleeping again?”  He assured me that I can.  I have slept better, but I’m going to be fully relieved when we sign a new contract.  (What I took away from all this: Be careful about filing claims with the [evil] insurance company.)     

Love,

Dave

So Happy On The Beach

Dear George, 

Katja and I are just back from a weeklong vacation in Siesta Key, one of the barrier islands neighboring Sarasota, Fla., on the Gulf of Mexico coast.  Katja summed it up as being in Paradise, and I’d have to agree.  Beach vacations are my favorite, and Siesta Key was one of the most desirable locations we’ve been to.  Here are some pics and comments.

We stayed at the Tropical Beach Resorts at Crescent Beach in Siesta Key.  Perhaps 200 yards from the ocean, the beach was easily accessible from  complex.  Tropical Beach Resorts has an “old Florida” ambiance about it, probably originally a large multi-building motel complex that has been renovated in resort-like fashion.  Lots of amenities: two swimming pools, several small parks with palm trees and flowers, a shuffleboard court, barbecue grills, free beach chairs and towels, etc.  We liked our resort more than the huge high-rise hotels which lined the beach in several areas.   

The beach and the ocean, of course, were the center of our stay, and we spent two or three hours there every day.  Travel experts have designated Siesta Key as having the #1 beach in the world, and we could see why.  The white sand is so soft and fine-grained that it trickles through your fingers.  The Gulf varies between calm and wavy enough to body-surf, though the waves were less high than we’ve previously seen on the Atlantic coast.  Siesta Key had kite-surfing, paddle boards, kayaking, fishing, parasailing, helicopter rides, sail- and power-boating, and lots of swimming and hiking.  I saw a 6-year-old boy who had built an immense sand castle with at least 150 turrets. 

When we weren’t relaxing at the beach, we were usually getting ready to go out and eat.  There are endless restaurants catering to the tourist crowd.  Our best dinner was at Miguel’s French Restaurant on our last night.  We both had delicious cobra, a north Atlantic fish I’d never had before.  My favorite place was the HH and DD restaurant (with the red awning), which claimed (I’m sure correctly) to serve the Reuben sandwich voted #1 in the State of Florida.  Katja had oysters on the half-shell at Captain Curt’s Clam & Oyster, Daiquiri Deck (the best), Spearfish Grill, and the Siesta Key Oyster Bar.  We also enjoyed meals at The Toasted Mango, Clayton’s Siesta Grill, Muse, Anna’s Deli, and the Upper Crust Bakery & Cafe.  (Now I am fasting to shed a few gained pounds.)   

Sarasota, of course, was for years the winter home of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus.  John and Mable Ringling had their opulent estate there, and The Ringling is now the State Art Museum of Florida.  We spent one afternoon at the 21-gallery Art Museum, modeled after the Uffizi gallery in Florence.  The Ringlings’ massive collection centered on old masters, including Velazquez, Poussin, van Dyke, and the world’s largest collection of Peter Paul Rubens.  The contemporary galleries were also exciting, especially a photography exhibit by Brooklynite Hank Willis Thomas. 

We returned to the Ringling the next day to tour the Circus Museum, and it was an emotional, nostalgic trip.  Circus wagons, train cars, costumes, posters, props, and paraphernalia of all sorts.  In addition, there was an astonishing “miniature” circus model built by Howard Tibbals, 44,000 pieces and 3,840 square feet in area.  Katja bought a Ringling T-shirt, a Ringling cap, and a Ringling coin purse before leaving, making her a walking advertisement.   

 

Siesta Village was the resorty shopping/restaurant/nightlife section toward the north end of the Key.  A free trolley shuttle picked us up at our resort and deposited us at Ocean and Beach.  They were having an art festival on our first visit, and it was fun to see all the images of the Gulf Coast, especially the eye-catching photography.

The Mote Aquarium fit our desire to immerse ourselves in Floridiana.  One of the major oceanographic research laboratories in the nation, they provide refuge and healing to many wounded or orphaned sea creatures.  We were especially taken by the sea turtles and the manatees.  

On our next to last evening we took a Sunset Cruise from Siesta Key marina along the length of the barrier islands.  The massive wealth in the area was evident, including Sarasota homes or former homes of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Bette Midler, Stephen King, Jerry Springer, Nick Bolletieri, Martina Navratilova, Prince, Dick Vitale, “Macho Man” Randy Savage., and many others.  We stopped at a big sandbar near the gulf, waded in the water searching for seashells, and enjoyed the gorgeous Gulf Coast sunset.  

On our last day we drove down to Venice and Venice Beach, took a hike on their beach (also lovely), did some browsing in Venice Beach shops and gift stores, and had our last lunch at the Upper Crust Bakery and Cafe.  

Our week seemed to whiz by, and we were sad when it came to an end.  Katja stopped at one of the Siesta Key realtors and got information on monthly rentals.  Who knows what lies ahead?

Love,

Dave